The present invention relates to separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water, and more particularly, to separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water using solar energy.
In recent years, advancements in the field of cryogenics have resulted in multiplying the number of potential uses for hydrogen and oxygen in their elemental forms, and has consequently increased the demands on existing supplies in these elements. For example, cryogenic surgery now routinely employs surgical procedures which were undreamed of a few years ago. Procedures utilized in preserving perishable items have also employed cyrogenic fluids. Furthermore, it is even possible to fuel automobiles or other vehicles with liquid hydrogen. The liquid forms of both hydrogen and oxygen have also been used in the field of rocket and jet propulsion.
Water is an abundant source of hydrogen and oxygen. However, because of the large bonding energies involved, efficient production of hydrogen and/or oxygen from water through dissociation or separation of hydrogen and oxygen from a water molecule is often prohibited.
The problems involved in the production of hydrogen and oxygen from water, is just one of the areas which has been affected by the steadily decreasing supplies of hydrocarbon fuels. In fact, the entire field of power generation has been severly affected by this shortage. Therefore, the supplies of hydrogen and oxygen are being squeezed from both ends, that is, greater demands are being placed on the supplies while means for increasing the supplies are inhibited by the shortage of available power source.
Separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water at present generally occurs in devices using an electric discharge device or a combustion reaction. These devices, therefore, either directly or indirectly are dependent upon hydrocarbon fuel as an energy source. Furthermore, the energy source is inefficiently used as it is almost totally consumed in the dissociation process. Therefore, energy sources used to power the dissociation devices are capable of sustaining only the dissociation reaction, and are therefore inefficiently used.
The present invention uses solar energy as a power source for transforming water into steam and for dissociating that steam into hydrogen and oxygen.